Dominica Establishes World’s First Marine Protected Area For Sperm Whales

ROSEAU, Dominica – Dominica has expressed its commitment to establishing the world’s first ever marine protected Sperm Whale Reserve on the western side of the Island that will help sequester carbon and generate tourism income while also protecting a species under increased threat from human activity.

Acting Prime Minister Ronald Roy at launch of world’s first ever protected area for sperm whales (CMC Photo)“I hereby declare the official launch this programme for the establishment of the first Sperm Whale Reserve in the World, as we encourage all of our citizens and all nations, everywhere that have the honour and privilege to include whales as bona fide citizens, to join us in our commitment to protect our living marine resources, before it’s too late,” said Acting Prime Minister, Roland Roy.

Roy, who is also the Fisheries, Blue and Green Economy, told the ceremony that the reserve  will be developed to support the island’s traditional fishing activities and deep sea fishing that does not require the reduction or dismantling of the sustainable use of Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) to catch fish to support livelihoods, families and visitors.

“It is our hope that through the Sperm Whale Reserve we are able to create a new model of eco-tourism that provides multiple benefits, both tangible and intangible to a wide range of stakeholders particularly in the tourism, transportation, and fisheries sectors.

“Recognizing that we are a small island developing state with limited resources, we have the opportunity through this humble act of protecting the Sperm Whales that call Dominica home, to have a profound regional and international impact, and to be able to now promote our image as a large ocean developing state,” he added.

The US-based National Geographic said scientists involved in the planning and establishment of the reserve said that protection of almost 800 square kilometers will deliver benefits from the local to the global.

It said sperm whales have the largest brains on earth, matrilineal societies, and a complex language.

“They are the largest-toothed predator on our planet, with males on average 16 meters (52 ft) long – bigger than a school bus. Sperm whales are found in waters worldwide – from Iceland to New Zealand.

“But Dominica is one of the few countries in the world where sperm whales can be seen consistently throughout the year. Dominica offers a unique habitat where a resident population of sperm whales finds food and shelter, making the west coast of the island critical feeding and nursing grounds.”

Roy said Dominica is privileged to have over 50 Sperm Whale families living in the calm waters off the island’s west coast “living in matrilineal societies led by grandmothers and mothers, these enormous creatures spend time in our waters diving deep for squid, giving birth and raising their young.

“Through our partnership in marine research with National Geographic, Pristine Seas, we have learnt that our sperm whale families speak their own language, a series of clicks that is passed on by the elders as they teach their young, but most important to us is that as nomadic marine mammals the Sperm Whales have found a safe home and are considered permanent residents of Dominica.

“Unfortunately, across the oceans, from the busy US West Pacific Coast to a remote island in Western Australia, the world’s largest mammals are showing signs of distress. Records of mass die-offs, mysterious illnesses and puzzling changes in behavior make it clear that whales need a lifeline,” Roy noted.

The authorities here say that once the 788 square-kilometer reserve is established, a “Senior Whale Officer” and observers stationed to tourism and research vessels will oversee and reinforce the expanded whale tourism regulations.

“Sustainable artisanal fishing, which does not interfere with the sperm whales’ behavior or compete with them for food, will be permitted. Visitors to Dominica will have the opportunity to swim with these whales or view them from a boat, but they will do so in more sustainable numbers and under new strict regulations, to ensure that the sperm whales and other species of whales and dolphins aren’t disturbed. ”

The founder of Pristine Seas and an Explorer in Residence at National Geographic, Enric Sala, said “protecting these whales offers an incredible, cost-effective climate solution that has been overlooked by policymakers.

“By protecting sperm whales, Dominica is bolstering its climate resilience. The more sperm whales in Dominica’s waters, the more carbon sequestered in the deep sea, thus helping to mitigate global warming,” said Sala, who has been advising  the Dominica government on the establishment of the reserve.

National Geographic said that whale feces are particularly climate-friendly. Sperm whales dive between 650-1000 meters deep to hunt squid.

“When they are at the surface between dives, they breathe, rest and defecate. Their nutrient-rich feces – with iron concentrations 10 million times greater than the surrounding water at the surface – foster plankton blooms which capture carbon dioxide from seawater. When the plankton dies, it sinks to the deep sea with the carbon in it, thus becoming a carbon sink and helping to mitigate the impacts of global warming.

Based on a https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20554546/&source=gmail&ust=1700232694264000&usg=AOvVaw1kaJ9-cJfhMm1NxwZ1SyJ_">study of carbon sequestration by sperm whales elsewhere, and assuming 250 sperm whales currently in Dominica’s waters, Sala estimates that these whales could sequester 4200 metric tonnes of carbon every year – equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 18,000 acres of US forests in one year.

“The community of sperm whales which use the waters off Dominica are at risk,” said Dr. Shane Gero, National Geographic Explorer, Founder of The Dominica Sperm Whale Project and also lad biologist for Project CETI, who was a scientific advisor on the establishment of the reserve.

“These ‘island whales’ live alongside humans, preferring this island over others, making our actions in their ocean home their biggest threat.

“These whales are entangled in fishing gear, ingest our plastic trash that washes into the sea, engulfed in our noise which radiates deep into the ocean where they hunt for squid, and are hit by ships, a particularly heightened threat in the Caribbean, where everything is imported and many vessels transit between islands. All of this comes together to paint a distressing picture for the future of sperm whales.”

Between 2005 and 2015, the numbers of sperm whales in the 12 most-studied families off Dominica have shown a steady decline, seemingly caused by a substantial drop in survival starting in about 2008. If overall trends continue, by 2030 there will be very few animals left.

Roy said that as part of the island’s development agenda, Dominica is seeking to pursue “a well-planned, highly productive, competitive, and innovative Blue Economy that promotes full and productive employment and equal access to economic resources and opportunities for meeting our target for the agricultural sector to contribute EC700 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37) to GDP (gross development product) by 2030 and a target of 132,000 stay-over tourists per annum.

“As the “Nature Isle of Dominica” we have in the past successfully protected our land resources with 22 per cent of our forested area reserved to include the Morne Trois Piton National Park World Heritage Site – as such, a critical component of our national economic development agenda must include the holistic development of a sustainable ocean-based economy – the Blue Economy.

“By promoting the sustainable use of our marine resources particularly its unique ecosystems and rich biodiversity, we will position Dominica as a country known for adopting healthy lifestyles in harmony with nature, promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns and building resilience that reduces disaster risks and adapts to or mitigates climate change impacts,” Roy told the ceremo9ny.